Meaningless Words
A.W. Tozer warns against the use of empty words in Christianity, calling for a return to authentic and meaningful faith.
A.W. Tozer addresses the alarming trend of using sacred words and phrases in evangelical circles that have lost their true meaning, becoming mere sounds devoid of substance. He lists terms such as 'victory,' 'revival,' and 'born again' that, while once powerful, are now often spoken without genuine understanding or connection to reality. Tozer warns that this disconnect could lead to a reckoning before God, where we must account for our idle words. He calls for a return to the authentic significance of these terms to restore their impact in our spiritual lives. The sermon serves as a wake-up call to examine the sincerity of our faith expressions.
Text
At the risk of shocking some tender-minded persons, I venture to list here a few words and phrases that to millions of evangelical Christians have no longer an identifiable content and are used merely as religious sounds without any relation to reality. They have meaning, and they are good and sacred words, but they have no meaning as used by the speaker and as heard by the listener in the average religious gathering.
Here they are: victory, heart and life, all out for God, to the glory of God, receive a blessing, conviction, faith, revival, consecration, the fullness of God, by the grace of God, on fire for God, born again, filled with the Spirit, hallelujah, accept Christ, the will of God, joy and peace, following the Lord--and there are scores of others.
We have reared a temple of religious words comfortably disassociated from reality. And we will soon stand before that just and gentle Monarch who told us that we should give an account of every idle word. God have mercy on us.
Sermon Outline
- The Problem of Empty Words
- The Consequences of Empty Words
- A Call to Authenticity
- Returning to meaningful words
- Living out our faith
Key Quotes
“We have reared a temple of religious words comfortably disassociated from reality.” — A.W. Tozer
“God have mercy on us.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must be intentional about living out our faith and letting our actions reflect our words.
- Using empty words can lead to a disconnection from reality and a lack of accountability.
- We will be held accountable for every idle word, as stated in Scripture.